Submissions Open For The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award 2026

Harrogate International Festivals is inviting submissions for this year’s Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award.

Established in 1982, this prestigious award provides a platform to some of the country’s best up-and-coming classical musicians and the chance to perform in the HACS Harrogate Music Festival.

Previous winners of the award include Evelyn Glennie, Ben Tarlton, Julian Bliss, Jamie Walton, Lucy Parham and Benjamin Grosvenor.

The award itself was inspired by the extraordinary life of Dorothy Parkinson, who had close ties with Harrogate International Festivals. Born in 1909, Dorothy was the third daughter of Lord and Lady Bingley and was brought up with her three sisters at Bramham Park near Wetherby. She went on to study music, which took her to Vienna where she studied with Arnold Rosé, the leader of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

After returning to North Yorkshire she became great friends with Dame Fanny Waterman, founder of the Leeds International Piano Competition, and the pair frequently performed recitals together. Harrogate International Festivals played a big part in Dorothy’s life – she was on its first board of governors following its inception in 1966 and was twice its president, in 1968 and 1978.

In 1981, the year after Dorothy’s death, her friend – the legendary mezzo-soprano Dame Janet Baker – sang at Leeds Civic Hall in her memory, and the following year the Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award became an integral part of the Festivals’ programme.

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive of Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award has been presented to some of the finest young musicians for more than 40 years.

“This prestigious award always attracts a diverse and high-calibre range of classical musicians, and I’m sure this year will be no exception.”

Submissions are welcomed for both solo players and ensembles. To be eligible for the award, the musician(s) must be British and under 35 years old before August this year. The closing date for submissions is 15 February 2026.
For more information and the submission form go to Dorothy Parkinson Memorial Award Submissions.